How Trump's White House is Like American Pickers

[MineralMan]

Both are reality shows and both find unexpected things on a regular basis wherever they go. The difference is that American Pickers looks for cool stuff at bargain prices they can restore and sell. Trump looks for precious things we consider to be rights and then destroys them.

Same scripts. Different outcomes.

[guillaumeb]

1. Unfortunately, not all Americans consider those "precious things...."

to be precious.

Far too many Americans do not value free speech, and all that is associated with that concept, unless the speech validates what they personally believe.

[MineralMan]

2. That may well be true.

However, the Constitution stands. So far, at least.

[guillaumeb]

3. But it only stands as words, unless people are winning to insist on their rights.

I was at a demonstration recently where the police tried to tell us that we could not walk on the sidewalk holding signs. The police insisted that the designated free speech zone, (what an Orwellian construct that is ) was a site approximately 1/2 block from where the entrance was. A spot where we would be effectively invisible to those entering the venue.

We refused to move. The police brought in more police with fancier uniforms. They repeated the designated zone nonsense. We refused to move again. As this was happening, passersby started filming the interaction. The police noticed this and the higher ups decided to withdraw the troops and we continued to demonstrate.

[MineralMan]

4. And, as you learned from that, the First Amendment is still

in place and functional. You and your fellow protesters invoked it and the people trying to limit your freedom backed down.

That is precisely the First Amendment in action. Do not expect your protest to be accepted immediately. Instead, insist on your rights. That's what happened in that instance, and you won. Repeat as needed.